HOW WE MET

While I was getting through my second year at Stellenbosch, my cousin Karen invited me to her 21st birthday celebration at a (now sadly non existent) Greek restaurant opposite the Newlands train station .

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 Invited guests included many people I did not know as Karen had spent a lot of her life living in Durban or Cape Town. Even though this meant we did not spend a great deal of time in each others company, the relationship that my father had with his sister, Auntie G (Karens mother) ensured that we kept in touch through the years.

I clearly remember walking into the restaurant as a confident individual even though I knew none of Karens friends.

I was seated opposite Jackies parents (Charles and Jenny) and also had my father on my left and the most gorgeous young woman I had EVER laid my eyes on seated to my right.

(Karen revealed sometime later, that she was certain Jackie and I would really enjoy each other company - which we certainly did.

I had known Charles and Jenny for a few years now (the story of how I actually got drunk for the first time and how my future father-in-law was 100% guilty of this event is to be revealed at a later date !)

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This was a magical evening as Jackie and I could not stop gazing at each other, laughing wildly as well as dancing unaware that the rest of our family could see something special happening right there and then. 

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Once the Ouzo was finished, the plates were all smashed on the floor and the end of the exceptional evening was upon us, I did NOT want this fairytale to end and so went to Uncle Charles to ask if I could take Jackie to a nightclub before making my way home to Stellenbosch.

The answer was a kind and polite but emphatic NO. In hindsight, I can honestly say that there is ZERO chance I as a father would ever have said YES to the twenty year old me, but I was nevertheless very disappointed. This was my Cinderella moment and Charles was the MIDNIGHT CLOCK as he whisked my future wife away.

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I had no glass slipper and this was the era before mobile phones, so all I had was her name and the ambition to get together again soon. 

I famously took her table name tag back to Stellenbosch with me and when I was asked by my house mate, Murray, what I was clutching onto with such a broad smile as I got into bed - I showed him the name tag from the restaurant ...

JACKIE COETZEE

As I drifted into a very deep sleep I remember very vividly telling Murray :

I AM GOING TO MARRY THIS WOMAN ONE DAY..